COVID may have ended its deadly effects, but it is still in the air and has a high cost on people’s lives, as America’s Noah Lyles was the latest sufferer from this virus which made him finish third with bronze medal in his favorite 200 meters event at the Paris Olympics held on Thursday.
“I still wanted to run,” said Lyles, masked, during an interview with reporters. “They said it was possible.”
But Lyles overcame the line in a time of 19.70 seconds, which is 39 seconds slower than his personal best. The gold medalist was Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo aged 21 years who outpaced Lyles by 24 seconds.
The silver went to Kenny Bednarek of Team USA and this is the second successive Olympic Games where Lyles and Bednarek have finished 2-3.
“So when I saw Kenny fade away I knew that Noah was far, far, far behind us,” said Tebogo quoted by The Associated Press. “That makes me an Olympic champion.”
Lyles opened his Paris campaign with a thrilling victory in the fiercely-contested 100m race as he sought to duplicate what Usain Bolt had done eight years earlier: win both sprints at one Olympics – a feat unmatched since Bolt’s triumph at London 2012 after being the reigning world champion in 200m for two consecutive tournaments.
However, Lyles suffered a setback in the semifinals when he lost out to Tebogo, marking his first defeat in Tokyo since winning a bronze medal in this event.
Following a loss in the semi-final round, Lyle immediately left the stadium to be attend to by medical staff based on tent set for first aid rather than holding interviews like before. His coach confirmed that he was healthy as always.
Lyle announced that he had tested positive for COVID two days after winning gold in the men’s 100m final and entered into mandatory quarantine. His focus was on hydration, rest and getting mentally and physically ready for the race ahead.
USATF also stated that “Noah Lyles passed a comprehensive medical exam” before opting to participate in the event despite his condition.”
“We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely,” read part of the statement issued by United States Track and Field (USATF).
The post-race events were unsettling
Lyles, who is typically one of the liveliest athletes on any track, appeared exhausted both prior to and following any sprint. He dropped to the ground with a thud, rolling onto his side in an effort to catch his breath. Gradually he made it up from all fours to kneel down using one fist as support.
He steadied himself after a while and walked unsteadily towards the medical personnel making signs calling for water. Finally, he left in a wheelchair.
“It definitely was an effect,” Lyles said. “But I mean, honestly I am more proud of myself than anything just coming out here with COVID and getting bronze.”
